The Spear In the Heart
by Medie
Summary: A conversation on why... (T'Pol/Archer UST)


Title: The Spear In The Heart  
  
Author: Medie  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Note: Thanks to Feather and Mara for your wonderful beta help!!!! And   
Feather for inspiring the title.  
  
Spoilers: None really for the series I don't think.   
  
Category: Introspective.   
  
Keywords: T'Pol/Archer UST?, Vulcan, Surak  
  
Summary: A conversation on why...  
  
Archive: It'll go up on my page. Archives? I have no idea about   
Enterprise archives. Anyone wants it, please ask me so I know.*G*  
  
Disclaimers: They aren't mine they belong to Paramount. *G* Wish they   
were though. I'd keep 'em close to Trek Canon and havin' fun on their   
own. ;-)  
  
The Spear In The Heart  
by Medie  
--------  
Looking across the table, Jon lowered his glass and asked his   
question, "T'Pol, may I ask you something?"  
  
The Vulcan looked into her captain's earnest gaze. "Of course."  
  
He didn't mince his words, asking flat out, "Why do your people make   
such an effort to avoid `cultural contamination'?" Though he didn't   
speak the words, Jon's eyes added. `Only to interfere at every turn   
once First Contact *has* happened.'  
  
If she saw, she gave no sign. Instead, she clasped her hands lightly   
behind her back and met his gaze evenly. "It is not something we have   
had much cause to discuss."  
  
Her reluctance wasn't surprising. He'd yet to see a Vulcan who   
volunteered information so he'd expected resistence. "You have cause   
now." Leaning back in his chair, he added. "You can't expect humanity   
to adopt a Vulcan policy if we have no idea why the policy was   
enacted to begin with."  
  
Looking into his face, T'Pol had to admit his logic was sound. It   
often was. Despite a strong tendency to lean toward emotion, when he   
chose to be, Jonathan Archer could be quite a strong logician. If he   
so wished, she suspected he could hold his own with almost any Vulcan.  
  
Her head moved slightly in a nod of acquiescence. "Very well; but you   
must respect our wishes that this not become public knowledge. My   
people are not in the practice of freely dispensing such information   
to offworlders."  
  
Archer considered her conditions for a moment then nodded. "All   
right; I can't say I won't discuss it with others but I won't   
broadcast it across subspace either." He had his problems with the   
Vulcans but he couldn't deny that - whatever the reason - they were   
an intensely private people. Be it military or cultural information,   
they did not share it easily.  
  
It wasn't the answer she truly wanted but she couldn't say it wasn't   
unexpected. He was as frankly honest and open as she was private and   
reserved. She would never say, but she found him refreshing.  
  
Moving across the floor, she looked into the coldness of space,   
taking a few moments to compose her thoughts. "It occurred many years   
ago, on a planet 185.7 light years away. A survey vessel encountered   
a severe ion storm which sheared off a nacelle. The crew was forced   
to abandon the ship as a a core breach was imminent...one lifepod   
became separated from the others..."  
  
"It crashed on a planet?"   
  
T'Pol looked over her shoulder to find him watching her intently.   
"Yes." She returned her gaze to the stars. "There were two aboard the   
pod: an exobiologist and a doctor. The biologist was injured and   
could not walk. The doctor managed to move him to a nearby system of   
caves she had found. After removing useful equipment from the pod,   
she destroyed it to hide their presence."  
  
She paused and turned. "It was her hope they would not be discovered."  
  
"But they were." Jon prompted softly, his mind visualizing the   
scenario as she described it.   
  
"They were," she affirmed. "A healer from a nearby village was   
gathering a plant at the mouth of the cave. It was a considerable   
shock to encounter the scientists; the religious beliefs of his race   
didn't allow for the possibility of life on other worlds,   
nevertheless, he thought them harmless and tried to help."  
  
T'Pol's expression seemed to grow even more solemn. "Despite all   
efforts, they were discovered..."  
  
"Oh god..." Though she'd yet to actually describe what had happened,   
he knew it couldn't be good. T'Pol was not an overly expressive woman   
but the gravity of the situation was readily apparent. "How bad?"  
  
"The leader of the village and the local religious leader had the   
Vulcans seized, the healer and his family arrested."  
  
Jon closed his eyes. He could only imagine the scene as they were led   
out of their sanctuary. That very image had been played out so many   
times on his own planet - centuries ago - and made up some of the   
worst periods of history. Religious zealots were anything but   
merciful; especially when their belief system was challenged.  
  
"One of our ships was able to rescue our scientists but not before a   
public trial was held: the result of which was the execution of their   
benefactor and his family." T'Pol hesitated before adding.   
"Eventually, due to the cultural contamination, the planet became   
embroiled in a so-called holy war. Millions died."  
  
"Horrific." He agreed, standing. "But surely you don't expect every   
time to end as devastatingly as that."  
  
One feminine eyebrow rose delicately and Jonathan felt as if he were   
sixteen years old and had just been caught by Mrs. Dandrige sending   
notes to Mary Zeuwicky. She'd used the *exact* same look. It was a   
somewhat ridiculous thought but for a moment he wondered if Mrs.   
Dandrige hadn't learned that look from a Vulcan.  
  
"We are well aware, Captain, of the possibilities of such a result   
occurring: I could recite those very statistics if I so wished but I   
do not want to belabor the issue." T'Pol turned, as if to leave, but   
apparently thought better of it. "There is a saying among my people,   
`I am a Vulcan, bred to peace,' it is a truth we hold dear. The very   
thought of causing harm to others is abhorrent to us. One life lost   
because of our presence is one life too many." We will not rush   
blindly out to meet a race only to cause death."  
  
"An admirable goal," he replied after some thought. "Very noble of   
you, but forgive me, it doesn't exactly fit with the picture humanity   
has of the Vulcans."  
  
Though she showed no sign of it, his words shamed her. She had long   
wondered if the spirit of her people's mission to guide humanity in   
their reach for the stars had been lost. Had they allowed their   
concerns and fears to overwhelm their logic?  
  
She fully believed they had done the right thing in helping the human   
race, that she believed without question. Her doubts lay in the   
execution of that guidance. Had they gone wrong?  
  
T'Pol had wondered this before but only in the most abstract of ways.   
Since being assigned to the Enterprise, however, those doubts had   
assailed her with a new and intense clarity.  
  
And another concern had been added.  
  
What would Surak think of how they approached humanity? Would he   
understand their concerns? Or would he abhor them?  
  
"T'Pol?" Archer's voice pierced her reverie and she found the   
captain's eyes watching her with concern. Looking back, she realized   
he was worried his comments had hurt her. "Are you all right?"  
  
For the first time in many years, she had to struggle to hide her   
emotions. "I am fine." She replied curtly, drawing her control about   
her like a shield. "Vulcans have a code of behavior that we strive to   
live by. We do not always succeed but that should surprise no one. We   
are not infallible and we would be so arrogant as to claim to we   
were. Vulcans are not perfect but we struggle to be better than we   
are. This is the reason for our concerns, why we avoid cultural   
contamination. The risks of tragedy far outweigh the possible   
benefits we could offer. I believe your race has an expression; the   
road to hell..."  
  
Moving to the door, she hit the control to open it.  
  
Vulcans had a saying too: one attributed to Surak.  
  
`The spear in the other's heart is the spear in your own: you are he.'  
  
Finis 


End file.
